On the eve
of Thanksgiving Day 2017, one of our greatest challenges is not to get
swallowed by all the ugliness surrounding us.
Everywhere you look, there’s cause to shake your head and wonder: “What’s the world coming to?”
And
you don’t have to look far to see a specific group of unhappy people—the
perpetual pouters. Their view is always
clouded by negativity. Wayne Ates would
say these folks had been “weaned on a dill pickle.” The dill-pickle crowd refuses to acknowledge
the goodness which overshadows the badness.
Instead, they would rather poke their lips out from Cherry Street to the
traffic light in Ludowici.
While
studying at Harvard, Kent Keith must have made that same observation. In 1968, he was inspired to write “Anyway:
The Paradoxical Commandments” as a part of a student-leader handbook. For 49 years later, the poem of Dr. Kent M.
Keith is still making laps around the globe.
One of its more famous stops was in Mother Teresa’s hands. The saintly woman was so impressed that she
posted the message on the wall of her Calcutta children’s home.
If
you are looking for an antidote to the ills which abound, consider these words:
Anyway:
The Paradoxical Commandments
By Dr. Kent M.
Keith
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish
ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and
true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be
shot down by the smallest men and
women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help
them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in
the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
Look around. Badness is trying its best to kick goodness
in the teeth. Let’s not pout about the abundant
deeds of dastardly evil-doers. Instead,
let’s focus on the positive by seeing the multitudes of random acts of
kindness.
Opinion
is varied on who first said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is
that good men do nothing.” Attribution
is often given to British statesman Edmund Burke. Regardless of its author, another way to say
it is: “As long as enough people care, there will always be hope for tomorrow.”
Thank
you, Dr. Kent Keith, for reminding us of that.
Here’s
to a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
dnesmith@cninewspapers.com
